Flushing-valve for water-closets.



A. E. CURHN. FLUSHING VALVE FOR-WATER CLOSETS.

APPLlcMroN mgn'uu( 6.193171 v Patented. Apr. 23, 1918 ANDREW F. GUEt'JII1\TJ 0F MEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS FLUSHING-VALVE FOR WATER-GLOSETS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

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Application filed July 6, 1917. Serial No. 179,067.

To, all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW F. CURTIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Medford, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain 4new and useful Improvements in Flushing-Valves for Tater-Closets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description Vof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

rLlhe present linvention relates to an improvement in flushing` valves for waterclosets. l

The object of the inventionis to improve the construction and organization of a water-closet flushing valvein order to produce `an eiiicient flushing valve of more simple and durable construction than has heretofore been produced. To the accomplishment of this object `and such other objects as shall hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the improved flushing valve described in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The preferred form in which it is `contemplated embodying the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which lthe tigure is a vertical section of the improved flushing valve. The hollow body portion of the valve, through which the water passes from the tank to the closet bowl, is represented by the reference numerall. Depending downwardly from the body portion 1 is the usual spud 2 adapted to pass through a hole in thebottom of the tan-k in which the flushing valve is located. Projecting laterally from the body portion is a hollow :arm 3, in Ithe open upper end of which the usualioverflow pipe l(not shown)l is threaded.

The ,upper rim l of the body portion of the flushing valve constitutes a valve seat, upon which is adapted to ybe normally :seated the dislelike valve proper 5. A watertight joint between the valve` 5 and its seat 4: is secured vby imeans of `a leather washer 6 which is held in place by 1a threaded follower 7 screwed into the valve 5. The :fol`

lower has two inwardly projecting lugs facilitating manipulation thereof. As is usual, the upper open end of the body p0rtion constitutes its inlet and the open lowei| end thereof constitutes its outlet. In threaded water-tight engagement with the periphery 8 of the valve 5 is a hollow bell 9, on the upper end of which is an eye 10, in which is received one end of a link or chain attached to the lever by which the valve is manipulated. Fixed within the body portion 1 by means of a transverse brace 11 is a hollow guide member vor dashpot 12, within which a plunger 13, threaded Lon the lower end of a hollow rod 14 depending from the central part of the valve 5, is adapted to slide freely. The rod 14: s guided in its up Aand down movements by a guide nut 15 threaded into the upper end of the dashpot. ln the lower end of the dashpot is a hole which is normally closed by a ball valve 1G. 'lwo yslots 17 are cut in the periphery of the upper end of the dashpot so that water may pass into the dash pot when the valve 5 is unseated.

' The operation of the improved flushing valve is .as follows: rlhe valve proper 5 is normally maintained. seated, when the tank is full of water, by reason of the weight of the parts attached to the valve and by reason of the pressure of the water in the tank on the hollow bell 9. When the closet bowl is to be Hushed, the valve 5 is unseated by lifting the .bell 9, which is accomplished by a manipulation of the ,usual lever. Thereupon the water of the tank flows through the body portion 1 of the flushing valve down into the bowl. In `view of the fact'rthat the fioat insures a full opening of the valve irrespective of the length ofpull on the operating chain, the upward movement of the bell 9 ,to unseat the valve 5 is always .suflicient to bring the upper end 18" Of the plunger lfagainstthe lower end 19 of the guide nut 15.l In this lconnection itv will be observed that the slots 17 are so located that when the plunger 13 is thus at the limit of its upward movement, the ybottom of the plunger is above the slots 17; consequently a portion` of the water pourinodown over :the valve seat 4 from the `tanl will pass through the slots 17 and into the dashpot 12, where it will be held by the ball valve 16. Now although the weight of the valve 5 and its associated parts, aided by the pressure of the water in the tank on the bell, is suiicient to maintain the valve 5 normally seated, yet the buoyancy of the bell is such that when the valve isv unseated and the bell is thereby causedY to be subjected to a considerably less pressure, the valve 5 is held unseated by the iotation of the bell until the level of the water reaches a predetermined height in the tank. Y 1

It is obvious that if the closing of the valve is governed entirely by the recedence of the water from the tank, the valve closure will take place suddenly and with a Sharp click; and this is recognized as highly undesirable. Moreover, a Sudden closure of the valve will prevent a proper refill ofthe bowl.

A slow and gradual closing of the valve is secured, andconsequently a proper refill of the bowl, by the action ofthe plunger 13 against the water in the dashpot 12. The space between the periphery of the plunger and the interior of the dashpot is So proportioned to the weight of the valve 5 and its associated parts that the action of the plunger in forcing itself through the water in the dashpot, retards the closing of the valve. In other words, the closing of the valve is not governed by the recession of the water from the tank, but bythe action of the plunger on the water in the dashpot. AS a result, the cessation in the flow of water does not come suddenly, but is gradually and considerably rlengthened out, thereby effecting a gentle and noiseless closing of the valve and a refill of the bowl. The ball valve 16 acts as a check-valve, preventing the outiiow of water from the dashpot on the downward movement of the plunger, and preventing the creation of a vacuum, with its retarding effect, on the upward movement of the plunger.

The construction and arrangement of the improved liushing valve parts, by which the closing of the valve is entirely independent ofthe recession of the water from the tank, results, as is apparent, in a free outfiow of substantially the whole amount of water in the tank. It also results in a delayed beginning of the slow closing` because, inasvmuch as the downward movement of the short as possible.

1n the present invention, the valve is caused to close slowly by means of a member which is so weighted that when the valve has been seated and the vmember is subjected to a certain degree of water pressure, the valve is held seated; but when the valve has been unseated and the member is subjected to a less degree of water pressure, the valve is held unseated until the water recedes 'to a predetermined extent, a point at which the member ceases to be immersed. The closing of the valve is further retarded by means of a slow acting dashpot. 1t is apparent, therefore, that the invention may be embodied in other forms than that shown in the drawing and described above, without departing from the spirit of the following claims:

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

l. A flushing valve for water-closets having, in combination, a hollow body portion having an inlet and an outlet, a valve for normally closing the inlet, means connected with the valve for preventing the closing thereof, after it has been unseated, until the water recedes from the tank to a predetermined level, a `dashpot adapted to be filled with water, and a plunger attached to the valve arranged to slide in the dashpot to retard the closing of the valve after the water reaches said predetermined level.

2. A flushing valve for water-closets having, in combination, a hollow body portion having an inlet and an outlet, a valve, means connected with the valve for normally holding the valve closed and for preventing the closing of the valve, when it has been unseated, until the water in the tank recedes to a predetermined level, and means for further retarding the closing of the valve after the water recedes to a predetermined extent.

3. A flushing valve for water-closets having,'in combination, a hollow body portion having ank inlet and an outlet, a valve, means connected with the valve adapted for normally holding the valve closed, and adapted when the valve is unseated for preventing the closing of the valve until the water recedes Yto a predetermined level, and means acting independently of the action of the water in the tank on the lirst named means for subsequently retarding the closing of the valve.

4. A flushing valve for water-closets having, in combination, a hollow body portion having an inlet and an outlet, a valve for normally closing the inlet, a hollow watertight bell connected with the valve adapted when under a certain degree of water pressure to hold the valve closed, and when under a lesser degree of water pressure to hold the valve open until the water recedes to a predetermined level, and means acting thereafter to further retard the closing of the valve.

5. A Hush valve for water closets, having, in combination, a hollow body portion having an inlet and an outlet, a valve for closing the inlet, this valve being provided with a float which insures not only a full opening` of the valve when the valve is unseated but also serves to hold it open until the Water in the tank reaches :L predetermined level, and a dash-pot arrangement for the valve embodying :t piston Connected with the valve and a tube having an inlet opening near its upper end, this inlet opening being so positioned as t0 be uncovered by the piston when the saune is at the upper limit of its stroke.

ANDREW F. GURTIN.

@oplet o1? thin )patent may be obtained for tive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner cf Patente.

Washington. D. C. 

